Visions of Jesus Animate Israel’s Tradition in Luke

Abstract

Revelatory experiences in Luke’s Gospel illustrate the change that characters undergo as they come to venerate Jesus. These scenes depict how Jesus relates to their tradition. At first, Jews who see visions of Jesus’ coming, cast his mission in light of their knowledge of Israel’s scripture. With each successive event, and especially from the transfiguration onward, followers increasingly reimagine Israel’s scripture through their experience of Jesus. This devotion to Jesus is intrinsic to Judaism as a whole, as these experiences of Jesus are depicted as corporate not those of individuals alone.